Town of Summerville Planning Area - BCD Council of Governments

3 – Road widening projectsCapacity improvements and new alignments in a road network are very expensive considering the cost ofconstruction, materials and maintenance. These undertakings must combine federal, state and local fundingsources. All federal funds in the BCD Region are administered through CHATS ‐ a policy making body formedwith elected officials from all three counties, to prioritize and allocate federal dollars to Transportation projects.CHATS study area is a subset of the tri‐county area, composed only of those areas now urbanized and areasexpected to be urbanized over in the next 20 years. The Town Planning Area is located in the CHATS study area.Guide‐share funds for CHATS supported improvements are typically used for roadway improvements andenhancement monies are typically used for pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Funding may be used for any typeof transportation improvement including corridor planning, transit improvements and other forms oftransportation investment. Historically, Guide‐share has been $13.993 million per year, but commitments topreviously bonded projects reduced that allocation to about $7 million in 2007. Enhancement funds totalapproximately $700,000 per year.Two other funding sources for transportation needs are (1) C‐funds that are generated from state‐collected GasTaxes channeled through the Dorchester County Transportation Committee and (2) Statewide AdministeredFunds are allocated to projects through specific programs (e.g., road maintenance, safety, bridge replacement,and interstate highways). C‐funds total about one million dollars each year. Projects funded with this moneyare selected by the County Transportation Committee (CTC) and commonly include intersection improvements,small capital projects, and maintenance.State Administered Funds combined with Federal funding are prioritized at the state level by SCDOT. A recentreview of the CHATS Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) suggests that as much as $21 million per year ofnon‐Guide Share funds have been allocated for the region in the last 10 years. High priority projects such asCooper River Bridge replacement, interstate widening, and other bridge projects received this funding.The South Carolina State Infrastructure Bank selects and assists with the financing of major qualified projects byproviding loans and other financial assistance for constructing and improving major regional highway andtransportation facilities that contribute to economic development.Transportation Design Element Page 11